Angel From My Nightmare
by crescent613
Summary: Robin's been having a recurring nightmare of Amon's death. How will it affect their relationship in reality?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer:        I don't own any of the characters.

                        Title taken from Blink182's "I Miss You"

Nearly three in the morning and Robin still sat motionless at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen. It had been some time since she had actually been able to focus on the case at hand, sleep deprived as she was, but nothing seemed to stem the continuous flow of typing coming from across the room. She and Michael were the only ones left sitting in the office; Karasuma, Sakaki and Amon had all gone to investigate the crime scenes yet again and Dojima had long since gone home. Robin had been left behind yet again to research their mysterious new witch, so far to no avail. The long hours spent staring at a now blank screen were finally starting to take their toll, and the soft drumming of the rain beating against the windows combined with the rhythmic typing slowly lulled Robin into sleep.

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Completely immersed in this typing, Michael was jolted out of his concentration when the office doors opened to reveal Amon, removing his drenched black coat and shaking his dripping hair out of his eyes. 

Hands momentarily frozen above the keyboard, Michael asked, "So, find any useful information?"

Amon shook his head and began to reply, but stopped short. Following Amon's gaze, Michael glanced over his shoulder and found the reason for Amon's hesitation: Robin, lying with her head on her desk, fast asleep. Eyes narrowed slightly in something Michael couldn't make out, Amon strode determinedly toward Robin's desk. However, instead of waking and reprimanding her, he gently lifted her from her chair and headed towards the couch in the corner of the room. Obviously deep in sleep, Robin merely hung limply in his arms, her head resting lightly against his chest. As Amon lowered her onto the couch, Robin murmured something that was muffled in the dark folds of his coat. He stared at her blankly for a moment longer and them turned on his heel and strode out of the office without a word, leaving a confused Michael staring after him with a puzzled look on his face. 

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	2. Chapter 2

            As Robin slowly opened her eyes, she found herself in total darkness. Hesitantly walking forward, she desperately searched for any sign of life around her. Suddenly, she caught a spark of light from the corner of her eye. Whirling around, Robin came face to face with Amon, staring at her coldly while flames danced around him. Terrified, Robin tired to get to him, help him, but as if she was frozen where she stood, she couldn't move an inch. The flames rose higher and Amon appeared to be fading slowly away into the fire. Robin's frantic attempts to reach him were failing miserably, and as the heat began to obscure her senses, all she could do was squeeze her eyes shut and deny the truth of what was happening. 

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            By this time, Sakaki and Karasuma had both returned. They were presently in the conference room going over the evidence they had obtained. Michael and Amon were both at their desks working, but Amon found himself distracted by Robin's unusual behavior. Still asleep, she had started to toss and turn in an increasingly violent manor. 

            "She must be having a pretty bad nightmare," commented Michael, who had also been disturbed by Robin's actions. "Do you think we should wake her?"

            Instead of answering, Amon walked over to Robin. He knelt down beside her and gently tried to shake her awake. "Robin." Frowning, he tried again, but still she didn't wake. Robin then started trashing so violently that Amon had to hold her down. 

            "Michael," he said, worry tingeing his normally emotionless voice. "Go get Karasuma. Maybe she can figure out what's wrong with her." Michael made no hesitation and ran quickly out of the office. 

            Amon, still pinning Robin down, was getting increasingly frustrated at her lingering unconsciousness. Once more he shook her in what seemed another hopeless attempt.

            "ROBIN!" Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she shot up from the couch. Caught off guard at finding Amon sitting so close to her, Robin was barely able to stop the collision. She ended up halting less than an inch away from him; her lips less than an inch away from his. 

            Her bright green eyes even larger than usual, Robin slowly lifted her face to meet Amon's gaze. "Amon," she breathed. She swayed slightly where she sat and Amon instinctively wound his arms around her for support, bringing the two even closer together. Seconds seemed to pass like hours as they stared into one another's eyes; both unable to go on, yet, at the same time, unable to pull back. 


	3. Chapter 3

_Her bright green eyes even larger than usual, Robin slowly lifted her face to meet Amon's gaze. "Amon," she breathed. She swayed slightly where she sat and Amon instinctively wound his arms around her for support, bringing the two even closer together. Seconds seemed to pass like hours as they stared into one another's eyes; both unable to go on, yet, at the same time, unable to pull back._

            And that was exactly how they were when Michael returned with Karasuma following closely behind. Michael stopped dead, his jaw dropping. Karasuma's eyes widened slightly and she just stared at Robin and Amon, part of her sure she was imagining things. She and Michael tried to backtrack slowly out of the office, but it was too late. As soon as Amon realized that he and Robin had an audience, he quickly stood up and unconsciously backed a few feet away from her. Robin simply let her head hang, face slightly flushed, staring meticulously at the couch cushions. 

            Michael cleared his throat loudly. "Robin, good to see you're awake. We'll be leaving now." He and Karasuma turned hastily towards the conference room just as Sakaki burst out of it. "Guys, the police just called and they think they've found out where the witch is hiding." Almost everyone in the room was noticeably relieved at the perfect timing of this news, except Amon who surprisingly, considering the situation, seemed as unemotional as ever. "Let's go," he said shortly, striding out of the office. Robin got up uncertainly and headed after him. 

            After Amon and Robin were safely out of earshot, Sakaki asked incredulously, "What was _that_ about?" Michael glanced at the door where Amon and Robin had just exited. "I have absolutely no idea," responded Michael. Then he and Sakaki simultaneously looked at Karasuma. Shifting uncomfortably under their expecting eyes, she stared at the floor then up at them defiantly. "WHAT?" "Well," Sakaki began in a slightly mischievous tone, "Why don't you tell us? I mean, you are the one who can read emotions." Karasuma stared at them in disbelief. "I can't believe you would even suggest something like that. Do you even realize what an invasion of privacy that would be? You two should be ashamed of yourselves!" Storming out of the office, she only paused to give the two boys another glare for good measure. "I guess I should be going with her," said Sakaki with a grimace as he too headed out the door. 

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           Walking along a dark alleyway in silence, Robin and Amon searched for the witch. Michael had done some research, and combined with the police's information, he had determined that this was the witch's hideout. Robin glanced hesitantly at Amon, still unsure what had been about to happen before they had been interrupted by Michael and Karasuma. She remembered looking into his eyes, still cold and distant as always; but this time there had been something different about them, some undercurrent of emotion that had threatened to pull her under. 

            Then Michael's voice sounded over Amon's communicator, jolting Robin out of her reverie. _Amon, the witch is close. If you and Robin each go down a different alley at the split up ahead you'll be able to corner him._ "Right," Amon responded. Then he turned to Robin, and avoiding her eyes, said, "Robin, you take the right and I'll take the left." She nodded slightly to show she understood. When they came to the fork, Robin went right, staring uneasily at Amon's back as he went down the other path. She had a bad feeling about this mission, and she silently prayed that her nightmare would not come true.

            Robin walked down the increasingly black alley, glancing from side to side, searching for any sign of the witch. Then she heard a loud crash coming from a little way in front of her. Panicking, she started to run, her mind only on Amon and whether he was okay. She skidded to a halt as she saw a tall, sallow skinned man standing in the middle of where the two paths met. Shock mixed with horror as she saw the figure of Amon, lying on the ground a few feet away from the witch, motionless. The witch then turned his attention to Robin, who was hastily putting on her glasses. Flames reflected in her eyes as she prepared to set him on fire, when she heard a gunshot go off. She whipped around to see Amon, leaning on his right arm for support while the other held a gun that was still pointed at the witch, who had fallen to the ground. Relief spreading through her body like wildfire, Robin ran over to Amon and threw her arms around his neck. Wincing slightly in pain, Amon slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. 

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	4. Chapter 4

Sorry about it being so ridiculously short, I've been having serious writers block lately. Promise a longer one next time.

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It had been two days since the hunt, and the few injuries Amon did have, had already healed. But that still didn't stop Robin remembering when she thought she had lost him. Now, she stood staring out the office window, watching ominous dark clouds fill the sky. _It's going to rain soon, _she thought. Suddenly, Robin knew she wasn't alone anymore. She felt more than heard him enter the office. 

            Amon's voice seemed to reach her ears as though traveling down a long tunnel. "What are you still doing here, Robin?" "I…." Robin trailed off as she turned to face him. His piercing eyes seemed to bore into her very soul as tears sprang to her own. She lowered her eyes to the ground in an attempt to hide the tears that filled them. "Robin," he said hesitantly as he took a step towards her, "…that nightmare you had a few days ago, what happened in it?" Something in his voice told her that wasn't what he had been about to say. 

            Robin turned slowly back to the window, distantly watching the light drizzle of rain, before answering. "You…," she began. She stopped for an instant then continued in an almost incoherent rush. "You were dying and there was nothing I could do about it. I tried to move but I was stuck and you just kept getting farther and farther away, and there was nothing I could do to-" Tears now streaming down her face, she cut off abruptly as she felt Amon's hand on her shoulder. He turned her to face him. Robin leaned into him as he lifted his hand and gently brushed away her tears.  They were so close to each other now that Amon could see the water droplets clinging to her eyelashes, making them sparkle with an almost eerie glow. Robin's eyes widened slightly as their lips met and then fluttered shut. 

            Abruptly, Amon pulled away as if burned. He squeezed his eyes shut for an instant and when he opened them they were, if possible, even colder and harder than usual. "I have to go," he said shortly. He walked so quickly to the door he was almost running. And all Robin could do was listen to the now pouring rain and watch as he got further and further away. 

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	5. Chapter 5

Over the next few days, a silent emptiness seemed to have fallen between Robin and Amon. Neither wanted to talk about what had happened between then, because neither knew what to say     

Robin was constantly filled with a blind confusion, straining to understand what had gone wrong. It had been such as perfect moment, why did it have to end so soon? Why did it have to end at all? But all the many questions in her mind remained unanswered, and the harder she tried to see things clearly, the blurrier it all became. And being around the source of her confusion every day certainly wasn't making things any easier.   

All of these thoughts only succeeded in reminding Robin that Amon sat only feet away from her. She couldn't resist glancing away from her computer screen to look at him, if only for an instant. Sighing helplessly, Robin fixed her eyes back on the screen, not really seeing it. 

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Amon saw Robin glance at him from the corner of his eye but forced himself to concentrate on their new case instead of the girl sitting a few feet away from him. Amon had tried to focus on his work and get Robin out of his mind, but so far he was failing miserably. Every time he caught sight of Robin, and often when he didn't, he remembered only to well that it had not been that long ago that he had held her in his arms. And no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't shake the memory of kissing her, the feel of her lips brushing against his. But part of him didn't deny the memories, didn't care if it was wrong. That part of his wanted to hold her forever, kiss her forever. And as mush as Amon hated to admit it, it was getting harder to ignore.

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 The uneasiness that now filled Robin and Amon's relationship had infected the rest of the office as well. Even if Karasuma had not been abnormally sensitive to emotions, she would have felt the tension that hung over them like an intoxicating fog. No one spoke to one another, unless briefly and strictly businesslike. 

"So what happened with them anyway? People don't just suddenly start acting that way towards each other for no reason." Well, everyone except Dojima. _Well, _Karasuma thought dryly, _at least she has the sense to keep her voice down, and not shout it for the whole office to hear._        

"_Well_?" she pressed, not bothering to hide her annoyance at Karasuma's delayed answer. 

"How many times do I have to tell you, Yurika?" Karasuma whispered back exasperatedly. "I haven't got the faintest idea what happened, and neither does anyone else. And besides, it would be none of your business anyway." Tossing her hair in frustration, Dojima stormed off to get some more coffee. 

Karasuma knew that not everyone had her abilities, but it still amazed her how some people could be so oblivious to what was right in front of their noses. It was true she didn't know exactly what had happened between Robin and Amon, but she knew it had not just happened _suddenly, for no reason_, as Dojima so eloquently put it. Karasuma had always sensed something in the air between the two, a dormant well of emotions that had now surfaced in reaction to….._What_?  That was the question that was constantly running through her mind. And sadly, she didn't believe that there would be any answers soon. Karasuma's instincts told her that whatever had happened, it would only cause Robin pain to mention it; and Amon certainly wasn't going to explain anything to anyone. 

Suddenly, she became aware of a stirring of movement around her. Michael had walked over to Amon and was explaining that he had discovered that another body had been found which seemed to have the same symptoms as the first. Amon just sat listening intently, nodding his head slightly to show he understood. Karasuma watched his features carefully as he stood and said briskly, "We should probably go investigate the body." His eyes flicked momentarily to Robin, but Karasuma could only marvel at how skilled he was at concealing his emotions, or running from them; she was not quite sure which.          

Hanging her head slightly, strands of hair falling in her eyes, Robin got up slowly and followed Amon out of the office. As the door clicked softly shut, the rest of the STN-J members were left staring, slightly in awe, slightly in wonder, at it. Karasuma couldn't help letting a small smile touch her lips as the others gaped dumbfounded. Something was going to happen, she could feel it. 

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	6. Chapter 6

Hands resting lightly on the steering wheel, Amon drove along the dark winding roads, staring at the water droplets slowly beginning to streak across the windshield. He glanced momentarily at the rearview mirror, and then quickly averted his eyes from the sight of Robin, sitting quietly in the backseat, staring at hands folded neatly in her lap. Just barely holding in the sigh that wanted to escape him, Amon caught sight of the sight of the most recent killing. 

It was a rundown old building, several stories high with its white paint peeling off to reveal the dull gray stone beneath. It seemed to reek of death. Opening the door and climbing slowly out of the car, Amon started for the building, not waiting for Robin to follow. She simply gave the building one quick, slightly uneasy glance, before exiting the car to trail slowly behind Amon.  

The inside of the building was no more impressive than the outside, Amon saw, as he cautiously pushed the door open. They were in a long dark corridor, their feet stirring up the dust layered thickly on the ground. The police had told them that the body was down this hallway, in a room to the right. Passing through the hall, Amon's eyes caught a patch of gray sunlight illuminating a pile of rubble that lay through a crumbling doorway on his left. The now pouring rain seemed to have formed a makeshift waterfall, weak currents flowing into the desolate room. Since the room it led to could only be in the center of the building, it appeared that the ceiling must have caved in, letting the dim shaft of light break through with its tributaries of rain. 

Amon and Robin then reached the room described by the police, and just as expected, a black body bag lay in one of the dark corners. Getting right down to business, they inspected the body; combining their own conclusions with those of the doctors who had performed the autopsy, and attempting to formulate an accurate idea of the witch's powers that had caused the victim's death. From their current standpoint, it seemed obvious that the witch had a type of telekinetic ability. With the help of Michael's hacking, they had been able to find out that at each of the murder sites, there had been varying degrees of damage done to the buildings surrounding it. And considering this particular building's current shape compared to a few days previous, the witch was very powerful. _The witch must not have reached full strength yet_, thought Amon, remembering back to the collapsed ceiling in the room down the hall. _They probably tried to bring down the whole building on their victim's head, but didn't have enough power to do it. _Well, at least that was somewhat comforting. Whatever their power, the witch was obviously long gone, and remaining here looking at a lifeless corpse wasn't doing any good.

"We've found out all we can for now. Let's go," Amon said shortly. Lately he had been saying many things shortly, trying to avoid saying too much by saying almost nothing at all. Robin made no comment, just followed him to his car.

After another seemingly endless drive of awkward silence, Amon watched mutely as Robin walked to her apartment door, lost to him in the torrents of rain. 

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	7. Chapter 7

Closing the door to her apartment, Robin pressed her back against it and slid slowly down to the floor. She could feel the air filling her lungs as she took what felt like her first breath in hours. She closed her eyes lightly; only for a moment, but it felt as if the image of Amon's face had been permanently burned into her vision. 

Robin stood up feverishly, swaying slightly, and walked slowly over to her bed. She undressed silently; not bothering to dry her drenched hair or clothes, and drew the covers up to her neck, quickly falling into a restless sleep. 

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Unable to stop her eyes fluttering open, Robin found herself in the darkness which was sickeningly familiar by now. Even though she was fully aware of the nightmare's events, it didn't prepare Robin for the sound of a gunshot, piercing the eerie silence as it echoed from somewhere in the distance. Acting out of instinct, Robin started to frantically search this hellish place for any sign of life.

And that's when she came across Amon, lying face down on the ground, eyes closed and breathing ragged. Throwing herself down on the ground, Robin tried with a quiet desperation to get him to open his eyes, but the situation couldn't be helped now. 

_None of this is real, _Robin tried to convince herself. _All I have to do is wake up, and it will all be over. Then everything will go back to the way it was. Before…. _

Shaking her head, she attempted to stand, only to be seemingly pulled back down. One instant she was clawing at her surroundings, trying to find any way to escape; the next, she felt as if she was falling into an even deeper, more consuming darkness, trying desperately to get a hold of anything that could save her. But nothing seemed to be real anymore…

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Robin's eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright, clutching her sheets to her. Shaking in a cold sweat, she acted without thinking. Grabbing her communicator from off of her nightstand, she began to frantically dial the number. 

*          *          *

Amon had been pacing relentlessly around his apartment when he heard the faint ringing coming from the inside of his coat. Bringing it up to his face, he could barely make out the trembling voice on the other line.

"Robin?" he said, concerned and confused. As he listened to her frail voice, wracked with sobs, all of the pretenses that he had held onto so religiously were lost to him. The only thing that mattered to him now was Robin, and that she needed him. "I'll be right there," he said gently, yet with an edge of firmness. 

Without any hesitation, Amon threw his coat on and very nearly ran out of the door, slamming it behind him. 

*          *          *

When Amon arrived at Robin's apartment, he opened the door in a dreamlike fashion, stepping inside quietly. Guided by the distant sounds of crying, he found his way to Robin's room. And there she was, sitting up in her bed, clutching her knees to her chest; tears falling slowly from her eyes, traveling down her cheeks in pale rivulets that gently caught the dim light. 

He walked over to her slowly, cautiously. As she lifted her head slightly to see him, her face flushed slightly and she wrapped the sheets more tightly around her chest. Feeling as if he were possessed, Amon knelt down beside her and drew her lips to his. Robin leant into him, feeling the warmth of his body filling her; but once again he broke away. Only this time, his eyes were not blank and coldly emotionless, they were filled with pain and, could it be, regret?

"I'm sorry, Robin," he said in a hushed whisper. "I should never have let this happen, and it can't happen again." He stood up and started to back away from her, and it looked as though it took him all the strength he had. Closing his eyes to block out the sight of Robin sitting there, her face filled with more pain and confusion than he could ever forgive himself for, he said in a voice so low she could barely hear him, "There can never be anything between us." 

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Sitting pensively staring at his computer screen, Michael was jolted out of his musings when Karasuma came hurriedly into the office; Sakaki entering momentarily after her with a confused look on his face. 

"Miss Karasuma, what's going on? What did the police say?" He tried to catch up to her, but by the time he reached her she was already talking briskly to Michael.

"Michael, I want you to contact Amon immediately. The police have just informed me that they've found the witch and they need us to get there right away."

Already calling Amon's communicator, Michael began in a puzzled voice, "But Miss Karasuma, what about Robin?"

Staring at Michael as though he were completely oblivious, Karasuma replied, "Robin's had a rough day. I think it would be best to keep her out of the hunt today." 

"But Miss Karasuma," Sakaki began, "All Robin did today was investigate a body with Amon-" With a look of dawning comprehension, he looked conspicuously around the room. "Oh." 

Karasuma rolled her eyes exasperatedly at him. Then she rounded on Michael. "Well?" she demanded, "Why haven't you called Amon?!"

 "I already did." Michael said in a tight voice. "Twice," he added for good measure. His voice faded into anxiousness. "He hasn't been answering."

They all looked at each other with uneasy glances, then back at the communicator which was still ringing helplessly. 

*          *          *

Somewhere in the dark folds of Amon's coat, the communicator was casting a dim greenish glow as it continued to ring, unanswered. 

Neither Amon nor Robin could hear the toneless ringing; both lost in the others arms, the moonlight flooding into the open window causing their skin to glow with an eerily beautiful light. 

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	8. Chapter 8

Amon's eyes slowly opened as the rising sun flooded into Robin's room. Momentarily disoriented, Amon tried to grasp where he was and why. Then the sound of someone's gentle breathing brought his awareness to the sleeping figure next to him. Amon let a small smile touch his lips as he gently stroked her hair, pushing stray strands from her face. Robin made a contented sound and shifted slightly, so that her head rested lightly on his chest. Glancing at Robin before laying on his back and staring thoughtfully at the ceiling, Amon's mind shifted to memories of the night before. The very idea that he almost walked away from this, from her, astounded him now. 

_Amon stood quickly, trying to avoid looking at Robin, her eyes brimming with pain and confusion. If he didn't leave now, he didn't think he'd ever be able to. If he gave in now he could never go back. He told himself this over and over as he slowly began to head for the door. Slowly because even while his mind was urging him to walk out that door and out of her life as quickly as possible, his heart wasn't letting him forget how much he cared for her, how much he wanted her. He came to a dead halt as he heard one faint sob escape Robin's lips. _

_Then it hit him. _What the hell am I doing?_ Amon asked himself. From the minute he had laid eyes on her that fateful day at Harry's, he couldn't get her out of his head, or rather, out of his heart. All his life he had tried to push others away, but he couldn't do that to Robin. The truth was he needed her as much as she needed him. He had already walked away from her once; he just couldn't bring himself to do it again._

_Then, without any further thought, he spun around and strode over to Robin, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her with all the love and passion he felt. _

Amon was brought out of his reverie by the ringing coming somewhere from Robin's dresser. 

Lifting her head slowly and reluctantly off of Amon's chest, Robin stretched her hand out to her dresser. She incoherently felt around for her communicator for a few seconds before finding and answering it. 

"Hello?" she said groggily. _Sorry to bother you so early Robin, but it might be urgent. _

Robin was wide awake when she heard Michael's anxious voice. Then something strange hit her. "What do you mean 'might be urgent,'" she asked confusedly. _Well, late last night, we got the whereabouts of the witch. So we tried to call Amon and he never answered. After a few more tries and still nothing, Sakaki and Miss Karasuma went by themselves. The hunt went fine, but I tried to reach Amon all night and there was no answer. None of us have any idea what could have happened to him; I mean, it's not like Amon to just blow off a hunt. So I was wondering if you had seen him or heard from him._

Robin had frozen on the spot and a flush was creeping over her face. Her head was spinning and she turned wide-eyed to look at Amon, silently pleading with him for a solution. 

"Just tell him you haven't seen me," Amon said quietly. Robin nodded, agreeing that that was probably the only thing she could say without drawing unwanted attention to the situation. She knew perfectly well that STN-J employees were not supposed to socialize with each other outside of work, and Robin was positive that last night was breaking a lot of rules.

_What was that noise Robin? _Robin's thoughts were cut off and she panicked. _It sounded like someone was talking. _"Nothing, Michael," she said a little more than breathlessly. "It was nothing. And I haven't heard anything from Amon," she rushed on. "I should go." She hung up on him quickly, cutting off whatever he had been about to say. 

Michael just sat staring blankly at his computer screen. He hadn't meant to upset Robin like that. _I knew we shouldn't have called her about that._ He told himself, glancing over at the others. 

"So has she heard from him?" demanded Dojima expectantly. It had been her idea to ask Robin about Amon in the first place. 

"She hasn't heard anything from him," Michael said simply. Then he continued worriedly, "I think I really freaked her out. Now she's probably worrying herself sick over where he could be. She sounded really—" He couldn't think of the right word. But something in the back of his mind told him that worries over Amon weren't the cause of her distress. Then he remembered the sounds he had heard in the background. He could have sworn that was Amon. But that would mean—_No, that's impossible. _Michael thought reasonably, laughing at himself for thinking something so foolish. 


	9. Chapter 9

Je sais, le chapitre est tres petit. Sorry about the extreme shortness, kind of in the middle of exams.

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Robin did up the last button on her dress slowly, still filled with an awed confusion. Amon had left a little less than an hour ago, heading for the office. She had been momentarily distracted by Michael's call and the panic about coming up with a logical excuse, but now that was over and Amon was gone; leaving Robin alone with memories of the night before.

No matter how hard she tried, Robin just couldn't stop the events from playing over and over in her mind; trying to convince herself that it hadn't all been some vivid dream. It had all been so perfect, in every way a dream come true, that Robin couldn't believe that it had been real.

But that wasn't what had her caught in her own rambling thoughts. Last night had been perfect, all she ever thought it could be and more; it was the aftershock that held her. Robin had been so close to Amon, that now, it seemed as if he were a million miles away. Robin had felt so complete and now she felt emptier than she had ever thought was possible. It was like something was missing inside of her and she needed desperately to find it again.

Robin shook her head to try and empty her mind of all of her thoughts and emotions; then she slipped on her shoes and headed out the door. She had to concentrate on the problem at hand. _What are we going to tell the others? How can we hide something like this? _Robin thought almost feverishly. Then it came to her that Amon was already at the office and had probably come up with an explanation for where he was. Or maybe he said nothing at all, as he usually did whenever he was faced with an unpleasant inquiry. She realized how foolish she had been to worry about it like that. _Why would they even suspect I had something to do with it? _She thought logically. Robin cast her eyes down and let out a soft, regretful sigh. There was no reason for them to even think Amon had feelings for her.

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I have a pretty good idea of how to end the story, but I'm not sure if i should. If you've got any opinions, share please.


	10. Chapter 10

It's kinda on the shortish side, but I'm gonna update really soon.

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Dojima watched all of the other hunters bustling around the office, working on one assignment or another. She hadn't really been listening when they discussed the cases in the briefing room, but judging by the way everyone was scattered about doing research or making calls, she had missed quite a bit. 

But that wasn't what currently occupied her thoughts. She shot a suspicious glance at Amon before leaning back in her seat, continuing to flip through a magazine way too casually to be natural. As far as she had heard, Amon hadn't given any explanation for where he had been all night, and knowing him, it wasn't likely that he ever would. But naturally, Dojima's curiosity had gotten the better of her, and now she was determined to find out why he had so mysteriously disappeared.

Finding her first target for information, Dojima slowly pulled herself out of her seat. She stretched meticulously, feigning a huge yawn, before walking nonchalantly over to Michael's desk.

As usual, Michael's fingers were skimming over the keyboard while his eyes flicked back and forth across the screen. Dojima leaned against the side of his desk and looked around the room to make sure Amon was out of earshot before speaking. "So Michael, you don't happen to know anything about Amon's little disappearing act, do you?" Dojima pursed her lips irritably as she noticed that Michael was listening to that music of his and hadn't even heard her. Pulling one of the earphones out, she said directly into his ear rather loudly, "Hey, Michael!"

He jumped out of his seat a few inches and turned to face her angrily. "Hey! What was that for?" Dojima ignored his outraged comment and smiled in an annoyingly satisfied way. "So, what's the deal with Amon? You must know _something_."

Michael turned back to his computer and said in an exasperated voice, "I don't know anything. No one does."

At that very moment, Robin walked into the office. Dojima immediately took notice of the way that both she and Amon carefully avoided looking at each other. Dojima tapped her finger against her lips thoughtfully, and then turned to smile sweetly at Michael. "You think so?"

Following her gaze over to where Robin was taking a seat at her desk, Michael turned back to Dojima with an almost pleading look on his face. "Come on Dojima, don't bring her into this. I'm sure she had nothing to do with it." Glancing over at Robin and noting how much paler she looked, he added, "And besides, I think I really freaked her out when I told her Amon was missing. She must have been really worried. That's why you should just leave her alone."

Dojima threw her hands in the air defensively. "I wasn't going to say anything to upset her." Michael raised an eyebrow at her as he looked up from the computer screen. Dojima sniffed in an offended way before stalking back to her desk and grabbing a magazine.

Dojima tried to look unnoticed at Robin from over the top of her magazine. She was going through a stack of papers offhandedly while glancing silently at Amon every once in a while.

_How am I supposed to ask Robin about Amon if Michael's gonna be hanging around the whole time? s_he thought to herself. Dojima was now certain that whatever was going on with Amon, Robin had something to do with it.

_I think I'll go shopping. _Well, for now, it was as good a solution as any.


	11. Chapter 11

The sun was high in the sky by the time Dojima made it to the office. With a shopping bag slung over her shoulder, the first thing Dojima noticed was Michael. Lying with his head resting on his keyboard, he had obviously spent the night up researching.

Glancing around the office, Dojima saw that there was no one was else in the office. _That's strange. They must all be on a hunt or something. _

_Or maybe not, _she thought as she cocked her head to listen to a faint shuffle of footsteps coming from the briefing room. Letting her bag slip off onto her chair, Dojima walked to the briefing room to find Robin heading for the door. _Perfect. _

Deliberately standing in the doorway, blocking every possible exit, Dojima asked casually, "Going somewhere?"

Robin was putting a stack of papers on the table and seemed not to notice that she was cornered. "I was just going to research some more on this case. It's strange. There have been a number of victims that were all killed in the same way, but there haven't been any suspects that we can find." She stood up straight once more and walked towards another stack of papers.

Dojima smiled in a satisfied way, unnoticed by Robin. "Wow, that is strange. Well, I hope you find the guy." She turned as if to leave, but shifted back to Robin and said in what was supposed to be an offhand way, "Oh, by the way. You wouldn't happen to know anything about where Amon was, would you?"

The look on Robin's face at that moment confirmed any doubts Dojima may have had that she wasn't involved. She glanced longingly at the door, obviously searching for any escape.

"I..."

At that exact moment, Chief Kosaka bustled into the room. "Well, it's a pleasure to see you here, Dojima." His eyes flashed dangerously and she tried to make her expression as innocent as possible. "Now that you're finally here, I have some work for you to do."

"But, Chief..." Dojima began, trailing off at his furious look. Muttering under her breath she headed out of the briefing room, leaving an extremely relieved looking Robin.

Michael woke up in time to see Dojima storming out of the office while glaring back at Kosaka. He rubbed his eyes, yawned, and put on his glasses which had fallen to the floor.

"Michael, what were you doing? Sleeping!?" Kosaka shot angrily in his direction, not that Dojima had left the building. He shook his head irritably before saying, "Never mind. That's not important now. The police have just informed me that they have found a suspect for that string of murders we have been investigating. He's currently at an old warehouse across town. Get someone on it now." With that he stormed out of the office.

"Uh...okay. I'll call the others and see if they can investigate now." Michael said to Kosaka's retreating form.

"You don't have to Michael."

Michael turned around abruptly to see Robin, her face unnaturally pale, walking towards the door. "I'll go."

"Wait, Robin you can't go by yourself. This guy's killed about thirteen people; it would be way too dangerous to confront him by yourself. It'll only take me a few minutes to contact the others—" But she had already gotten into the elevator.

"Dammit."

* * *

Writing the last chapter. Probably have it ready by tomorrow or really soon.


	12. Chapter 12

Amon walked back to his car and away from the crime scene, hands in the pockets of his long, shadowed coat. _Well, that was completely useless. _There hadn't even been anything about the body to suggest a witch had been involved.

He got slowly into his car and drove back to the STN-J. Amon tried to keep his mind on the case, the police, the road— anything but her. He didn't have a clue about how to handle the situation facing him, so he just tried to ignore it.

That didn't last long, though; because the first thing Amon noticed when he entered the office was that Robin wasn't there.

_Where could she be?_ As far as he knew, there was no reasonable explanation for her absence, no new murders or suspects.

He turned to glare at Michael. He wasn't acting as he usually did, and Amon could tell something was making him especially nervous. He wasn't typing, rather tapping his fingers aimlessly on the keyboard and staring blanking at the screen, not really seeing it.

"Michael, where's Robin?" he demanded sharply.

Michael snapped out of his anxious reverie as he spun around to see Amon standing behind him. "She..." he began nervously, trailing off underneath Amon's threatening stare.

"Well?" Amon prompted, growing more impatient and worried the longer Michael delayed.

"Well, it turns out the police found the guy who killed the last thirteen victims we've been investigating. So the chief told me to get you guys to go hunt him, but Robin was here and she said she'd go and I tried to stop her but—"

His hasty rambling was cut off as Amon broke in furiously, "You let her go off all by herself to hunt a mass murderer?!"

"I told you, I tried to stop her but—"once again he was cut off, but this time by the slamming of the office door as Amon stormed out of the room.

Amon was already out of the STN-J parking garage and a good way down the road when he realized _Dammit; I don't even know where she went. _Growing more and more impatient, he quickly dialed the office and got the location from Michael.

Apparently the witch had last been spotted at an abandoned warehouse all the way on the edge of town. Amon was sure he was speeding but he didn't care. He had the horrible feeling that he might not make it in time.

A short time later, but still much too long by Amon's reasoning, he had reached the warehouse by Michael's directions.

He stopped dead when he got out of his car and saw the place. It was now almost all rubble, and it had not been like that before judging by Michael's description. If Amon was not very much mistaken, this was the result of the witch's powers.

Wasting no time, Amon ran inside, quickened by the sight of Robin's scooter outside what was left of the building. Once inside, the first thing Amon noticed was the decidedly charred body of a middle-aged man. Amon quickly checked the man's pulse to see if he was still alive. There was still a heartbeat, although weak, and Amon decided he would call the factory as soon as he found Robin. _She just has to be alright._

Working his way further and further into the maze of debris, he spotted a fold of dark clothing from under a pile of rubble. Rushing over to it, he hurriedly shoved the rocks and dust away and lifted Robin gently into his arms.

She hung limply in his grip, but he could hear the sound of faint, ragged breathing. He brushed away a strand of auburn hair, revealing a cut on her forehead that was bleeding badly. As his fingers brushed against her skin, Robin's eyes fluttered slowly open. She just stared at him through innocent green eyes before collapsing into his arms.

Fin.


	13. Epilogue

Short and sweet little epilogue for all the wonderful reviewers who didn't want me to end it in such a horrible way. Enjoy!

* * *

The rain fell gently against Robin's window in a light drizzle as she leaned her head against the cool glass, staring down into the street. It was empty but for a few cars with their muted headlights streaming in front of them.

Robin let one ragged sigh escape her lips as she attempted to ignore the throbbing in her head. She thought it had only been a few days since she had been let out of the hospital, but she couldn't be too sure. All of the days seemed to run together lately, every moment a blur barely distinguishable from the next.

Shaking her head slowly to clear her mind, Robin tried to remind herself that the doctor had said the medicine would make her feel slightly disoriented for awhile. Truthfully, Robin thought the medicine had already worn off, and it was her own emotions that were clouding her sense of reality. Part of her was sure her memory was just playing tricks on her, or that she had already been unconscious and dreaming.

_Robin's eyes fluttered open slowly and she found herself staring straight into Amon's stormy gray eyes, and for once they shone with the light of unmasked fear mingled with relief. Relief at seeing her alive, hearing her heart beating._

_ It took her a moment to register the sharp pain that shot through her body, but at that moment, she was hardly even aware of it. She felt like ice underneath the black cloth, and her skin seemed to burn under the feel of Amon's arms around her. _

_Robin tried to call out to him, but pain and exhaustion crashed down on her and she could no longer hold herself up, let alone force her lips to move. _

_Hanging on the edge of consciousness, Robin's whole body had become numb. She was only aware of Amon's ragged breath against her neck. The sound alone comforted her more than any other in the world. _

_"I love you." Spoken in a hardly audible whisper, infinitely deeper and darker than the night, Robin wouldn't have been sure he had spoken at all if she hadn't been close enough to feel his lips brush her skin as he spoke the words she had waited so long to hear. _

_Suddenly Robin was being lifted off the ground, and the sudden movement stole the last piece of consciousness she had left. _

Robin was brought back to the present by the increased pounding of the rain, drowning out her thoughts. She gave up dwelling on the memory and stood. Robin started to walk towards her bed, but stopped to stare out of the window one last time.

Her broken reflection stared back at her and she hung her head slightly. "I must have been dreaming. Amon would never have said—"

"But he did," a deep voice interrupted her.

Spinning around, Robin would have fallen over from the blood that rushed straight to her head if Amon had not grabbed her and pulled her to him.

Steadied by his grip, Robin raised her head gently to look into his eyes, allowing herself to become lost in them as his lips met hers.


End file.
